1.38 million books for free from Booktime: two free books for every child starting school in England

June 24, 2011, 11:00
, 11:00

Booktrust and Pearson announce an elephant story you'll never forget

Booktrust and Pearson today announce the 2011 titles for Booktime, which is offering two free books to every child starting school in England this autumn: Tinga Tinga Tales -Why Elephant has a Trunk,from the Puffin imprint of Penguin, andFace Painting, from Pearson UK, marking the first time Pearson's education business has provided books for Booktime.

690,000 children in reception classes will receive a free book pack in their first term of primary school, each pack containing two books to keep. In total 1.38 million books will be given away, weighing more than 20 African elephants.

The book packs are given away through Booktime, the national free books programme for reception-aged children. Booktime aims to inspire a lifelong love of reading by encouraging families to have fun reading together.

Peter Hughes, head of corporate responsibility at Pearson, said:

“A passion for reading is one of the greatest gifts we can give. Good reading skills are the basic cornerstone that helps all of us progress throughout our lives. Books inform, educate, but also inspire. Good reading starts early. Booktime is an incredibly important programme as through it, we and Booktrust offer a gift of inspiring books and, more importantly, another way for teachers, families and Pearson volunteers to help hook the next generation on reading.”

This year’s story book is Why Elephant has a Trunk(Puffin), from the Tinga Tinga Tales series created by Claudia Lloyd. Why Elephant has a Trunkis a lively, laugh-filled story ideal to read aloud. Families will discover the fable of how Elephant got his trunk in a mishap with a very snappy crocodile and find out how he puts his new nose to great use. Its vibrant illustrations inspired by the Tingatinga artwork of Tanzania make Why Elephant has a Trunkan exciting and engaging title for families to enjoy reading together.

For the first time, book packs will also contain a title from Pearson UK, the education business. Face Painting(part of the Rigby Star series) is a non-fiction book to share, with colourful photos of children with their faces painted. There’s a design every child will enjoy, from a beautiful butterfly to a fearsome pirate and a scary monster. Face Painting, by Monica Hughes, lets children have a go at sharing a book with an adult by describing what they see and reading the words they know.

Viv Bird, CEO of Booktrust, said:

“Booktrust is tremendously proud to work with Pearson to bring these wonderful titles into hundreds of thousands of homes, encouraging more family reading. Booktime, now in its sixth year, continues to give magical books to children at an important time for them as they start formal education, signalling the continuing importance of reading for pleasure as well as for learning.”

“It is very exciting to have the Tinga Tinga Tales book Why Elephant has a Trunkincluded in 2011’s Booktime packs for reception-aged children. We very much hope families will enjoy sharing this book, inspired by a traditional story from Africa, and that Booktime’s celebration of shared reading will be as big a success as ever. It is a real honour to be associated with the long list of fantastic children’s authors and illustrators whose titles have been given to millions of children through Booktime since 2006, most recently the brilliant Ed Vere and children’s books legend Eric Carle.”

Booktime will be supported by a range of downloads and games on the website: www.booktime.org.uk

** For further information on the Booktime programme and to request interviews please contact Will White on will.white@booktrust.org.uk or 020 8875 4583

Notes to Editors

About Booktime

Booktime is run by Booktrust, the independent charity dedicated to inspiring a lifelong love of books for all, and Pearson, the world’s leading learning company. The programme was launched in 2006 by Pearson in partnership with Booktrust. Booktime aims to inspire a lifelong love of reading by encouraging families to have fun reading together. The programme supports, encourages and enables reading for pleasure in the home at an important transition stage in a child’s learning and development. Book packs have included titles from a long list of much-loved children’s writers and illustrators: Lynley Dodd, Janet and Allan Ahlberg, Ian Whybrow, Adrian Reynolds, June Crebbin, Ed Vere, Geraldine Taylor, Amy Schimler, and Eric Carle.

Booktime is now in its sixth year, and last year gave away its five millionth free book.

About Pearson

Pearson is the world’s leading learning company. Its major businesses are: Pearson, the world's biggest education business, providing print and digital learning materials and services used by more than 100 million students of all ages every year; The Financial Times Group, which has an international network of business and financial newspapers and online services that are read by millions of business executives and investors every day; and Penguin Group, which is one of the pre-eminent names in consumer publishing, with an unrivalled range of fiction and non-fiction, bestsellers, and classic titles. Through its books, newspapers and online products and services, Pearson helps people of all ages to live and learn. See www.pearson.com.

Since the Booktime programme began, Pearson’s UK staff have been giving their time to read with children in local primary schools through its Booktime Volunteer Reading Scheme. For the academic year 2009 - 2010,206 volunteers spent over 3,605 hours (the equivalent of 515 working days) reading with children.

About Booktrust

Booktrust is an independent charity dedicated to encouraging people of all ages and cultures to engage with books. The written word underpins all our activity and enables us to fulfil our vision of inspiring a lifelong love of books for all. Booktrust is responsible for a number of successful national reading promotions, sponsored book prizes and creative reading projects aimed at encouraging readers to discover and enjoy books. These include the Orange Prize for Fiction, the Children’s Laureate and Bookstart, the national programme that works through locally based organisations to give a free pack of books to young children, with guidance materials for parents and carers. See www.booktrust.org.uk

About Tinga Tinga Tales

Children around the world love animals and these fantastical tales, published by Puffin, celebrate how some of our favourite animals came to be. “Tinga Tinga Tales” was inspired by animal creation stories from all over Africa and its bright visual look by the wonderfully vibrant Tingatinga art of Tanzania. The artwork and the films in the Tinga Tinga Tales series were entirely produced in East Africa and everyone involved believes in giving back to the region. Through the trade editions of the books and the cartoon series, some profits go towards schemes that improve education and literacy in some of the most underprivileged areas of East Africa. Now that a special edition of Why Elephant has a Trunkhas been produced for Booktime, children from every background in the UK will have the opportunity to enjoy this glorious Tinga Tinga Tales book.